For a long time I was married to rounds....

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I'm married to rounds. I have one bass where I'm having an affair with Pressurewounds - Its a very bright bass with rounds, and that combo seems to work in that one situation. I think Pressurewounds are the end of the road for me.

I have had coffee with flats (regular La Bellas), but it didn't get past that. The strings literally came off the bass within a couple of hours. I have a set of Low Tension Flats in my string pile, just in case I want to try again, but I'm pretty sure I know where that will end up.

I do play fretless, and there rounds are absolutely crucial to me - the mwah from a good set of rounds is why I persist playing fretless.

Stay in Tune Silencers. They sound way more like flats. Pressurewounds just sound like worn in rounds. Silencers actually have the flat vibe, but with more harmonic content.

 

[db59]

...'cause that's what most people do. Then I met flats and fell in love and we were happy for a long time. Sorry rounds, it's not you, its me. Flats forever, right? But now lately I've been hooking up with rounds again. Heck, I even got a set of half-rounds the other day.

Does this make me a bad man?

I believe a marriage counselor could help

 

[pbassnut]

...'cause that's what most people do. Then I met flats and fell in love and we were happy for a long time. Sorry rounds, it's not you, its me. Flats forever, right? But now lately I've been hooking up with rounds again. Heck, I even got a set of half-rounds the other day.

Does this make me a bad man?

I'm the total opposite. I played almost exclusively in gut bucket blues bands for many years where flatwounds were expected. These days I have the freedom to sound the way I want and gravitate towards the roundwound growl that was denied me for so many years. More importantly though, I'm old and arthritic and find roundwounds easier to play. I still have some flatwound strung Ps and Js and pull them out from time to time but prefer my roundwound strung basses now.

 

[skygzr]

That's not what makes you a bad man...

Hmmm, that, as they say, is another story. And exactly who have you been talking to?

 

[logdrum]

Flats are overrated here on TB. IMO. I do have a couple basses with flats. Tapes specially La Bella tapes white, or White-Gold/Copper are almost like round wound in brightness with minimal string noise when sliding

 

[Poke]

I've been all-in for flats for years, until someone on here suggested I try tapewound La Bellas. All the comfort of smoothness of flats with a little more bite, but not as much as rounds. I have been converted.

I think you're officially a bass player. Welcome.

 

[Relayer71]

There doesn't need to be a struggle. I always have at least one bass with flats.

And I've really enjoyed the active bass + flats combo as I have plenty of high end on tap to make them sound more lively when I want.

 

[Jefenator]

One of the biggest justifications for having multiple instruments is so you can have rounds and flats both ready to go at a moment's notice.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

...'cause that's what most people do. Then I met flats and fell in love and we were happy for a long time. Sorry rounds, it's not you, its me. Flats forever, right? But now lately I've been hooking up with rounds again. Heck, I even got a set of half-rounds the other day.

Does this make me a bad man?

Not in the least, IMO. Your tone goals have changed over time. You've found your tone in flatwounds.

 

[C Stone]

After playing rounds exclusively for a very long time I now have P's permanently strung with flats and a few wearing rounds with different brands and gauges. All of my J basses wear rounds (so far) keeps it interesting...variety is the spice....and all that jazz.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Which ones do you recommend. I've been thinking about a new direction for my 5-string Jazz.



Are they just different in color or is there more to it?

More to it! Both sets are very robust! Love them!

 

[bassfreakah]

I try to keep both around.

 

[Fat Fret]

I'm in an open relationship with rounds!

 

[fretlessman71]

As a forced-to-use-a-pick player, it finally occurred to me that trying to get rid of the pick-scraping-on-windings tone had less to do with the pick, and more to do with the strings. I have found that half-rounds and picks get along wonderfully - a little more complexity of tone than flatwounds, and a lot less scrrrrrrrape than rounds. Heck, I put them on a fretless, and when I use the shoulder-end of a Dava Grip Tip pick (which is rubberized), I get a GREAT tone!

 

[Mili]

Yes, very very bad man!

 

[Mili]

I'm new to flats. I'm in honey moon with EB cobalt.

And there is more to install...

 

[5StringBlues]

You're just stringing them along.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I go back and forth all the time - I used to just cut them off when I tired of either to install the opposite. Now I save them in case I want to switch back. Cutting strings off was dumb. Took me a while to figure out that one if that says anything.

 

[marchone]

Rotosound Roundwound 66s on my Telecaster.

La Bella DTFs on the Precision.

Thomastik Infeld 344JFs on the Jazz Bass.

Variety.